Chapter 558: Taking a Concubine, the Clan Name

Winter, heavy snow.

The Daqian Martial Arts Hall in the snowy landscape looked as if it had changed into a white robe; at first glance, it felt somewhat unfamiliar.

A carriage dragged out long tracks and stopped at the entrance of the martial arts hall; the curtain was lifted, "Bring a few people over."

Hearing that it was the voice of the Clan Head's wife, two Apprentices immediately stepped forward quickly, swept the snowy path in a few strokes, brought out straw mats rolled into bundles to lay on the ground, and added a layer of coarse cloth to cover the surface.

Hua Youxing led someone off the carriage; upon seeing the other person's face, the Apprentices were dazed and lowered their heads in trepidation.

Someone of such radiant beauty was, without a doubt, the Clan Head's beloved concubine, the source of that massive storm from before.

The Zhengming Martial Arts Hall had vanished into thin air, and the fop from the Liu family had been executed by clan law; the root cause was this woman.

It was said that in the latest version of the Beauty Rankings circulating in the market, the young girl named Qi Fengzi had risen like a rocket to second place, second only to the leader, Zhu Qinghua.

"Many thanks, Sister."

Hearing the soft, sweet voice of Qi Fengzi, Hua Youxing smiled and said, "Sister, you have worked hard and achieved much; having won the title of Herbalist, I believe even Zhou You will have to treat you with three parts courtesy."

Escorted by maids holding umbrellas, the two women walked quickly along the snowy path and entered the martial arts hall.

The snow was vast and boundless; the walls and the ground were all a scene of pure white.

In every corner of the courtyard, Apprentices were sweeping, clearing a walkable path out of the snow.

Seeing their own Clan Head's wife passing by with someone, they retreated to the side of the road to bow, lowering their heads and not daring to look at Qi Fengzi.

Qi Fengzi took in every scene; she had encountered many strange things on the road while returning to the city from the Medicine King Sect.

There were even dissolute men who openly professed their love; naturally, their ends were extremely miserable, as they were beaten black and blue by the accompanying martial arts masters, their handsome faces thrown into the gutter to soak in foul water like pig heads.

There was much discussion on the streets, and fragments of talk about the Liu family, the martial arts halls, and so on came one after another.

Qi Fengzi eventually learned that Liu Chengen of the Liu family had coveted her beauty, secretly instigated the two major martial arts halls, and even triggered a sensational event that brought out the powerful martial artists behind the halls.

Afterward, a century-old martial arts hall closed down, a scion of a noble family was executed, and Zhou You, who was at the center of the storm, stood firm.

With the addition of legendary color, the 'reputation' of Qi Fengzi spread far and wide, and she began to make a name for herself on the Beauty Rankings.

"Detestable!"

On the journey back, Qi Fengzi had cursed countless times; that Liu Chengen had ruined her reputation, and he would not be worth pitying even if he died a thousand times.

She also did not know if Zhou You had any grudges about this, and with what attitude he viewed her.

Holding onto her apprehensive thoughts, Qi Fengzi pulled her 'good' sister Hua Youxing along to return to the martial arts hall together.

"Is that the Merit Tripod?"

Just as she was lost in thought, Hua Youxing stopped her pace, looking at the tall square tripod standing in the Inner Courtyard plaza not far away.

When Qi Fengzi was at the Qi Family, she had also seen the family's tripod, but it was different from the one before her; the tripods of noble families were used for recording lineages and ancestral deeds, representing the continuity of bloodline and heritage.

This Merit Tripod of the Daqian Martial Arts Hall, however, was born to reward merit.

The form of the Merit Tripod was inherently solemn and vast; standing in the snowy landscape, it revealed an exceptionally stern and murderous aura.

"Sister, look, does the aura of this tripod look like our husband!"

Husband? Oh, it was Zhou You!

Qi Fengzi looked again and felt there was some truth to it; the style of this Daqian Martial Arts Hall was a reflection of Zhou You himself.

The Merit Tripod stood in the martial arts hall, invisibly gathering the feng shui aura of the hall and also becoming tainted with the characteristics of Zhou You's own aura.

The tripod was like the man; this evaluation was by no means an exaggeration.

Qi Fengzi sighed, saying that Zhou You's momentum of soaring into the sky could not be curbed by anyone; he associated with powerful martial artists, curried favor with noble families, and was granted the right to possess a Tripod Vessel despite his Commoner background, which was a rare honor.

In this way, becoming his concubine was not a disgrace to the family behind her.

Circling past the Merit Tripod and entering the depths of the Inner Courtyard, Zhou You, having received the news, walked up quickly to meet them, "Why didn't you send someone to say a word in advance? I would have gone to the entrance to receive you." "You are the dignified Clan Head, what would it look like if word got out that you came to receive a woman like me?"

Hua Youxing rolled her eyes at him and took Qi Fengzi's hand, placing it into Zhou You's palm, "Returned in perfect condition."

Qi Fengzi was turned bright red by this action of hers and wanted to pull her hand away, but it had already been grasped by Zhou You.

"Sister Feng Zi's trip to the Medicine King Sect this time was a success; she passed the examination for Herbalist and her performance stunned the entire venue."

"There were even many seniors who cherished her talent and wanted to keep her in the mountains for further study!"

Zhou You nodded, "It is not easy."

According to the panel's evaluation, there were three levels of pharmacists within the Medicine King Sect: Herbalist, Spirit Mushroom, and Immortal Pill.

A Herbalist was at the Lv20 level, which he had already reached, but the next level up, Spirit Mushroom Pharmacist at Lv50, was still a distant prospect.

The top-tier Immortal Pill Pharmacist had a threshold of Lv100.

Qi Fengzi had entered the path later than him; to be able to become a Herbalist in just a few short years was truly rare.

But to want to go up another level and challenge the Spirit Mushroom Pharmacist was a slim hope.

Zhou You had been studying the contents of the Medicine King Canon and the Transformation of Myriad Wonders Book during this time, as well as many prescriptions from the Myriad Poisons Secret Workshop, and even with rapid progress, he had only reached the Lv31 level.

Although he had not participated in the formal examination, according to Zhou You's own estimation, he possessed the same level and skill as a Herbalist.

"Now, how do you plan to settle Sister Feng Zi?"

Hua Youxing was the first to pierce through the layer of ambiguity between the two sides.

After Qi Fengzi passed the Herbalist examination, it could be considered a conclusion; anyone with a discerning eye knew that a Spirit Mushroom Pharmacist was absolutely impossible, and to

continue further study would mean relying on grinding away the years, which was a lifelong matter.

Returning to the city this time, the stories about Qi Fengzi were becoming more and more outrageous, and the name of the "Beauty Who Brings Disaster to the World" had spread through every street and alley.

It could be said that apart from marrying Zhou You, Qi Fengzi had no other path. Zhou You agreed very readily, "This matter started because of me; Liu Chengen is actually a member of the Golden Immortal Dao's Fuji, and he used Feng Zi as an excuse to plot against me; she was innocently implicated."

"Feng Zi, now we have no choice but to turn the pretense into reality; I have wronged you by having you enter my house."

Hearing this, Qi Fengzi subconsciously blurted out, "It is not a wrong." Her face turned red in a flash.

Hua Youxing stood to the side, smiling without a word, watching the atmosphere gradually become ambiguous and heat up...

Outside the window in the snowy night, a large clump of snow broke a branch and fell with a thud into the snow.

Inside the room...

Qi Fengzi said to Zhou You, "Clan Head, I am not a direct descendant of the Qi Family; previously when Gongliang fell, they abandoned me and left, which is equivalent to a complete severance of ties, so whether I live or die has nothing to do with them."

"The Clan Head is a hero without peer; I am willing to be your concubine and can make this decision myself."

"However, although marriage customs have changed since the days of our ancestors, there is one thing that must be performed."

It turned out that when Qi Fengzi's lineage marries, they must kneel and pay respects to the family name.

This rule has been passed down since ancient times, and many noble families have established it as family law and strictly enforce it; it is not unique to the Qi Family.

"The object bearing the family name for Feng Zi was lost in Gongliang City during the previous chaos."

"Why would that be difficult? I will send someone to go and search for it; if it is still there, it can certainly be transported back to Fucheng."

Gongliang City is currently still under the jurisdiction of Fucheng and has recovered a bit of its vitality; it just so happens that Master Shen has already established a stable transport channel, so people can be sent to return to Gongliang City along with the trade caravan.

Qi Fengzi smiled and bowed gracefully, "From this life forward, Feng Zi asks for the Clan Head's care."

(End of chapter)